The invention relates to a lifting apparatus for a motorcycle, the lifting apparatus comprising a lifter and a fastener arranged in the lifter, the fastener comprising means for fastening the lifting apparatus to the motorcycle.
The invention further relates to a fastener for a motorcycle, the fastener comprising means for fastening a lifter to a motorcycle.
Like other technical devices, two-wheeled motor vehicles, such as motorcycles, mopeds and scooters, need to be serviced and repaired from time to time. If the work must be carried out while a motorcycle rests on its wheels or a stand on the ground, the working position is rather difficult. Incessant bending causes physical strain and makes working slow, inconvenient and difficult as well. Furthermore, the motorcycle resting on its wheels cannot be freely disassembled. For instance the wheels and suspension cannot be detached. The problem remains unsolved by lifting tables disclosed in GB Publication 2 191 758 wherein a motorcycle is arranged, resting on its wheels, to stand on a ramp which can be lifted. Furthermore, lifting devices have been developed for motorcycle service work which are characterized in that the lifting device is placed underneath the frame. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,639,067, 5,271,603 and 5,769,397 disclose such devices. The problem with these devices is, in turn, that the lower part of the frame of the motorcycle is not always free but in many motorcycle models the fairing extends to the lower part of the frame. In order to enable the lifting device to be used, the fairing should be removed before the lifting. This is, of course, difficult and slow. Besides the fairing, also the radiator, exhaust pipe and other components in the lower part of the frame may prevent the motorcycle from being lifted from underneath. There is also the danger of a carelessly arranged lifting device damaging e.g. wires, cables and tubes possibly being provided underneath the engine. In addition, the lifting device ing device supported underneath the frame is in the way of various service work. For instance emptying motor and transmission oil may be problematic.
An object of the invention is to provide a lifting apparatus which enables a motorcycle to be safely and easily lifted to a desired height for service and repairs. A further object is to provide a fastener which enables various lifters to be fastened to a motorcycle irrespective of the construction of the motorcycle.
The lifting apparatus of the invention is characterized in that the fastener comprises at least two upwards pointing supports located at a distance from each other, the free ends of the supports are provided with fastening elements for fastening to footpegs/footboard of the motorcycle, and in that the lifting apparatus comprises at least one stabilizing member for preventing the motorcycle from tilting in a longitudinal direction.
Furthermore, the fastener of the invention is characterized in that the fastener comprises at least two upwards pointing supports located at a distance from each other and to be arranged in a vertically moving part of the lifter, and in that the free ends of said supports are provided with fastening elements for fastening to footpegs/footboard of the motorcycle.
The idea underlying the invention is that the lifting apparatus comprises a fastener for fastening a lifter to a motorcycle. The fastener comprises two upwards pointing supports located at a distance from each other to enable footpegs, or alternatively, depending on the structure of the motorcycle, a flat footrest, i.e. a footboard, of the motorcycle to be seized. When the motorcycle is lifted up, the supports receive the mass of the motorcycle and prevent the motorcycle from tilting in a transverse direction. The fastener further comprises at least one stabilizing member to enable the motorcycle to be stabilized such that it cannot turn around a pivot defined by the supports and provided transversely with respect to the motorcycle. The stabilizing member thus stabilizes the motorcycle, preventing it from tilting longitudinally. A further idea underlying the fastener of the invention is that the fastener can be fixedly attached to the lifter or an auxiliary device which can be arranged e.g. in a hydraulic jack and which comprises supports for seizing the footpegs/footboard.
A still further idea underlying an embodiment of the invention is that the distance between the supports can be changed.
The idea underlying an embodiment of the invention is that the fastener is turnably arranged in the lifter, which enables the fastener and the motorcycle attached thereto to be turned horizontally around the vertical axis of a hinge between the fastener and the lifter.
The idea underlying an embodiment of the invention is that at least two flexible belts tightened between a fastening element and the motorcycle are used as the stabilizing members.
An advantage of the invention is that the lifting apparatus is suited to motorcycles of different types. Thanks to the fastener of the invention, the lifting apparatus can also be used for lifting motorcycles wherein the fairing or another component prevents the motorcycle from being lifted from underneath the frame. Irrespective of the construction or design of the motorcycles, the footpegs/footboard is always freely exposed, which means that they can be freely seized by the fastening elements arranged in the supports. Thanks to the fastening principle of the invention, the underside of the engine remains accessible, which enables engine- and transmission-related servicing, such as oil changes, to be carried out without the lifting apparatus getting in the way. Furthermore, the lifting apparatus of the invention can be used as a mounting jig which enables the motorcycle to be disassembled/assembled uninterruptedly without having to lift it down every now and then in order to modify the fastening. This is possible when several, e.g. two, stiff stabilizing bars or stabilizing belts are used whose position can be changed one at a time as the work proceeds. Any motorcycle component can be detached from the frame and the motorcycle can be supported firmly although the mass centre may change due to the handling of the components. All in all, the lifting apparatus of the invention is quick, easy and safe to use. Furthermore, thanks to the simple structure, the purchase price of the lifting apparatus of the invention is relatively low, which means that in addition to repair shops and racing drivers, also ordinary motorists are able to buy one. The fastener enables also existing lifting apparatuses, such as standard car jacks, to be utilized in handling the motorcycle.
It is to be noted that in the present application, a motorcycle also refers to mopeds, scooters and other two-wheeled motor vehicles.